Allegiant Air hires full-time flight attendants for Hawaii routes

The Transport Workers Union of America Local 577, which represents more than 600 flight attendants at Allegiant Air, said Tuesday that the Las Vegas-based airline has hired full-time flight attendants for its Hawaii service.

The union last fall said Allegiant (Nasdaq: ALGT) had planned to establish a base in Honolulu with part-time flight attendants, and had appealed to Gov. Neil Abercrombie and the state’s congressional delegation asking them to look into whether the airline was complying with Hawaii’s prepaid health-care law.

“This is a big win for our members and a great way for Allegiant to provide top-quality service on its new routes to Hawaii,” Debra Petersen-Barber, an Allegiant flight attendant and lead negotiator for TWU Local 577, said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to working with Allegiant to make sure all our customers have the best possible travel experience.”

Allegiant spokeswoman Jessica Wheeler told PBN in an email Tuesday that the airline’s staffing decisions “are based on what is appropriate for the operation.”

Neither the airline, nor the union, disclosed how many flight attendants were hired for the Hawaii jobs.

Allegiant entered the Hawaii market in June with flights from Las Vegas and Fresno, Calif., and quickly added other West Coast cities. Allegiant begins service this week between Honolulu and Boise, Idaho, Phoenix and Spokane, Wash.

“We’re excited to welcome new passengers and new cities to Allegiant’s Hawaii routes,” Petersen-Barber said. “And we’re especially excited that customer service on these flights will be in the hands of full-time flight attendants.”